I am looking for an information on HSI Sikkim that ran from Bombay to UK in 1918, Can you help me?
In 1908 the Burma River Transport Co., Ltd., was formed. In 1910 they had twenty-two steamers and twenty oil flats on the river, towing oil for the Rangoon Oil Co. Several of their vessels were built at Kamakasit, the majority being brought over from Calcutta and England.
Towards the end of 1911 the Burma River Transport Co., Ltd., went into liquidation, and most of their steamers and flats were bought by the Flotilla. A number of cargo steamers were built being added to the fleet in 1914. During the First World War HSI Sikkim was one of the two Hospital ships running until the arrival of the new hospital craft from the U.K. in 1918. This vessel was towed over from Bombay, with Lieutenant Armstrong in command, and was immediately converted into a hospital ship. She ran in that capacity for the duration of the war.
She brought the first batch of sick and wounded back from Kut, after its capture in exchange for Turkish prisoners. From 16 February 1916 to 20 June 1918 she carried in all 21,625 patients, viz. British officers 927, British other ranks 11,841, Indian officers 97, Indian other ranks 8,496, and Turkish prisoners of war 264. She had accommodation for 144 cot cases.
The concluding paragraphs of the dispatch contain the following tribute to the work of the medical service:
"The -energy and devotion to duty shown by the personnel
of the medical services deserve commendation.
Overworked and undermanned as they were during the
advance in January-for the greater portion of the
medical organizations then in the country had been shut
up in Kut, and the medical units of the 3rd' and 7th
Divisions had only begun to arrive-they did their utmost
witlh the means at their disposal to alleviate the sufferings
of the sick and wounded. Witlh the arrival in February
of the first river hospital ship Sikkim, and a steady
increase in personnel, their power of dealing with the
situation was considerably improved, as the action of
March 8th showed.
thanks for the immediate reply...can u say what happened to that ship whether it was taken back from its duty or drowned or destroyed...is there any pic available of that ship. Since i am interested in Sikkim History to find a ship named after my state is really strange...any added information is appreciated, Sir
